You Are Not Forgotten
by Mizu-chan
Summary: Another war has broken out and over one hundred soldiers are taken as POWs. But Relena is not willing to pay for their return. Part 5 AND 6 now up!
1. Death of the Living

You Are Not Forgotten  
  
Gundam Wing Style  
  
Mizu-chan's Notes: This is based on a true story which is why some  
  
things Relena does might seem out of character. Although it  
  
never seemed that way to me... hrm! Anyways! I can't tell you  
  
want it is based on, though. Not yet. At the end I will because I   
  
want to see how everyone will react. If some of the things about  
  
the politics doesn't work.. forgive me! I don't really get into  
  
politics.. erm.. reasons unknown ~:~wink~:~ Well, anyways! Enjoy!  
  
~:~and so the story begins~:~  
  
"Shoot them down!"  
  
"Hurry!"  
  
"There's way too many!!"  
  
Duo took a swing at the fast approaching mobile suits. He  
  
tried to ignore the dying screams of his allies as they came over  
  
the intercom. But he had spent too many years getting soft  
  
without war and so the great God of Death faltered in his  
  
attacks.  
  
"Get your act together!"  
  
"No, don't freeze up, Private!"  
  
"We can't do anything but retreat and now!"  
  
Trowa knew he was running out of bullets. He knew it was  
  
looking grim. It was a wonder that two small colonies could  
  
have this much power. Two small colonies against the rest of the  
  
alliance.  
  
"Run!"  
  
"Retreat!"  
  
"Let's get out of here!!"  
  
As he saw his power fail, Wufei knew they were defeated.  
  
They had fought valiantly but there was no way. He sat there,  
  
patiently waiting for the rest of his comrades to also fall.  
  
"Let's hope the other troops can win this..."  
  
"But.."  
  
"What's going to happen to us?"  
  
Quatre winced, hearing the sadness in the soldiers voices. He  
  
didn't have the heart to tell their innocent minds what could  
  
happen to them. Swinging his weapons one last futile time,  
  
Quatre also waited for the end that was fast approaching.  
  
"We're going to become prisoners of war.. that is if we don't get  
  
killed. Over and out."  
  
Heero clicked off his intercom. He had been surprised Relena  
  
had let them go to war. Now he wished she hadn't. He slammed  
  
his head against the back of his seat, cursing out loud. Slowly the   
  
man fell limp with defeat as he felt his mobile suit die.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"A sector has been defeated!"  
  
Relena bolted from her seat. She raced to her advisors side   
  
and stared down at the monitor. It was true. Over a hundred of   
  
her "blinky" lights were gone from the screen.  
  
"Which sector was that, Marie?" Relena asked nervously. She   
  
glanced down at the younger girl who knew so much about war.  
  
"Heero Yuy's sector.." Mariamaia replied, glueing her gaze to  
  
the ground.  
  
"No! Damnit!" Relena cursed loudly. She slammed a fist  
  
against the wall causing her knuckles to trickle blood.  
  
This was all her fault. She knew they didn't have to go to war.  
  
The two rebel colonies had two unstable leaders. They could   
  
have easily been talked out of fighting. But she declared war. It  
  
had been her own little rebellion against the destiny she had   
  
been shoved into so long ago. Now they were loosing and it was  
  
all her fault.  
  
"What can we do, Mariemaia?"  
  
"Win the war," Mariemaia paused, glancing up at Relena,  
  
"And that's about it, Miss Dorlian."  
  
"Have we any more troops?"  
  
"No, Miss Dorlian. We are losing."  
  
"Have you any advice?"  
  
"Surrender and let the two colonies break from the alliance as  
  
they wished."  
  
"But..." Relena sighed. She glanced around to the rest of her  
  
crew. Slowly, they all began to nod their agreement. Still she   
  
was undecided.  
  
"Relena! Surrender now! Surrender or the whole alliance will  
  
collapse at your feet!" Mariemaia shouted from her low altitude.  
  
She glared up at Relena who slowly moved to the vidcom. With  
  
a defeated sigh, the Vice Foreign Minister hit the switch. In an   
  
instant her calm but wounded face appeared on every online   
  
communicator.  
  
"This is Relena Peacecraft Dorlian. As Vice Foreign Minister of   
  
this alliance, I surrender this war to the rebel colonies. Hopefully,   
  
once free from our alliance of the colonies and earth, they will   
  
return to the peace this alliance was built for. I wish them luck  
  
and hope everyone else does also."  
  
Relena's image then disappeared. As she released the   
  
button she collapsed onto the ground. Staring up at the ceiling  
  
she felt the load of this immediate war fly from her. Like a bird.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The prisoners of war solemnly looked out the barred windows  
  
of their holding cells. Over a hundred mobile suits floated listlessly   
  
before them. Soldiers of the two rebel colonies were busy   
  
attaching all sorts of bombs onto the machinery. Even as  
  
Relena's call of surrender echoed throughout space, they did not   
  
slow down. Once they were finished, the soldiers returned to their  
  
own suits and flew the safe distance away. Suddenly, in an   
  
instant, there was a brillant flash of light that signified the death   
  
of the suits.  
  
"Well, there you have it. The end." Duo muttered. He lowered  
  
his head, wiping harshly at the bitter tears that were beginning   
  
to form. Who could have known those colonies were going to be  
  
such a formidable enemy? If he had known, he wouldn't have   
  
volunteered to fight. Not even for the Vice Foreign Minister.  
  
"They're not planning on letting us go..." Trowa trailed off. He  
  
glanced to the rest of the soldiers. They were shaking, scared of   
  
what might happen to them. There was nothing he could do to   
  
ease their worry and fear.  
  
"Even though Relena surrendered." Heero shook his head. She  
  
was such a foolish girl. Yes, she was still a young girl who never   
  
grew up. Still immature and stubborn as ever no matter how   
  
well she hid it with words.  
  
"W... why not?!" A soldier rushed up to Trowa. His eyes were   
  
wide with the fear of never returning home. He grasped Trowa   
  
by the shoulders, staring wildly into his eyes.  
  
"Don't worry." Quatre's face softened into a smile. "We'll get   
  
returned. They'll probably just make the alliance pay a fee."  
  
"Are you sure they'll pay the fee for us?" Another soldier asked.   
  
He appeared calmer then the others but his foot was tapping  
  
nervously.   
  
"Of course they will. We fought for them and they would never betray  
  
us." Quatre's warm words and soft smile seemed to calm everyone's   
  
nerves. The soldiers and the gundam pilots settled down in their large cell  
  
With no more words being passed, they fell into dreamless sleeps.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Miss Dorlian, some men from colonies 0107 and 1116 are here to  
  
speak with you." Mariemaia finished her words then wheeled away into   
  
the darkness.   
  
With a sigh, Relena turned to face the men. There was only two, a   
  
representative from each colony. One was average height with dull brown  
  
hair and even duller eyes. His partner was a balding giant who stared at   
  
Relena as though she was nothing but an insect. Shaking off his stare,  
  
Relena forced a smile on her face and greeted them. They returned her  
  
greeting and the three settled themselves into her office.  
  
"You made a good decision in surrendering, Miss Dorlian. You are  
  
quite a cunning leader," spoke the taller of the two. His stare caused   
  
Relena to shift uncomfortably in her chair.  
  
"But I am not their leader. I simply maintain the peace." Relena  
  
replied, miraculously keeping her gaze steady with his.  
  
"Not the official leader for sure but leader nonetheless."  
  
Relena opened her mouth to voice a reply when the second man cut  
  
her off.  
  
"We are not here to speak about Miss Dorlian's rule over her people,  
  
Refel. We are here to discuss the soldiers who fell into our hands during  
  
the brief war." The man's dull eyes seemed to suddenly ignite with a cruel  
  
fire. He set his elbows on Relena's desk and leaned forward. Not even   
  
moving back an inch, even as his hot breath hit her nose like the plaque,   
  
she remained calm and poised.  
  
"What about them, sir? When will the prisoners be returned?"  
  
The man looked over to his partner who nodded. Returning his   
  
malicious stare to Relena, he spoke once again, "We are prepared to   
  
give a full account of all the prisoners. Get back to us in a couple of days  
  
and we'll discuss their return." The man then stood up. The tall Refel   
  
followed suit. They both nodded to Relena before disappearing out the   
  
door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Oh, what am I to do, Mariemaia? I ended the war with the colonies   
  
and still they are out to get me. Why won't they just simply turn the   
  
prisoners back over?" Relena moaned. She was in the slumps about her  
  
current situation. It had been nine days since the two representatives had  
  
stopped by. She was unable to reach them. All her advisors had warned  
  
her from even speaking to the two rebel colonies. It was too dangerous   
  
they would say. Anything could happen and the fragile peace could  
  
shatter. Another war could start.  
  
"You can't make contact with the colonies until they become stable."  
  
Mariemaia spoke.  
  
"But that could take years!" Relena sat up on her bed. She stared at  
  
Mariemaia, expecting something completely different then what she got.  
  
"So be it. Why take a risk like that?"  
  
"Because our soldiers are over there!"  
  
"How can you be so naive, Miss Dorlian? If," Mariemaia began, stressing  
  
the if, "if the prisoners are even alive the colonies will want something in return.   
  
And that's usually money! Do you really think we have enough money to   
  
buy over one hundred PoWs?!"  
  
"Augh." Relena flopped back onto her bed. "Why can't we just go   
  
back to war with them?!"  
  
"We can't have the rest of the colonies think they cannot peacefully   
  
make their own decisions."  
  
"I didn't really need the answer!" Relena growled, tossing a pillow at   
  
the wheel-chaired girl.  
  
"Miss Dorlian?" A mousy boy peeked into her room. "Miss Dorlian,  
  
your brother wanted me to tell you that your public is waiting."  
  
"Waiting for what?"  
  
"For news about the POWs, Miss Dorlian."  
  
Relena froze. She managed to wave the boy away before she broke  
  
down. "Oh, Mariemaia! What do I say?! What can I tell them?!"  
  
"It's up to you now, Relena. You must decide the fate of this alliance."  
  
Mariemaia wheeled herself over to the vidcom. She turned her head   
  
to watch for Relena's next move. The former princess reluctantly pulled   
  
herself from her bed. She stumbled over to the vidcom and nodded to   
  
Marie who clicked it on.  
  
"This is Relena Peacecraft Dorlian. As Vice Foreign Minister, I have  
  
grim news for us all. The one hundred POW's taken during the brief war  
  
against colonies 0107 and 1116 are not coming back. All prisoners of  
  
war are dead. To all those families who lost a loved one, I am terribly  
  
sorry. There will be a memorial service for them as soon as possible.  
  
Thank you and once again.. words cannot express how sorry I am."  
  
Relena clicked off the intercom and crumbled to the floor. All around  
  
her the alliance was beginning to break. And all because she had tried to  
  
free herself. Why do caged birds always want to escape to the cruel   
  
world where they are broken?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Damnit!" Duo slammed his head against the wall. "What is wrong   
  
with her!?"  
  
"Wh.. why would Miss Dorlian do this?" questioned a shaking soldier.   
  
His eyes were wide as he stared fearfully at Duo.  
  
"Because of polictics and money!" Duo shouted. He pounded on the   
  
walls of the cell before sinking to the ground, almost weeping. "I'll never   
  
see Hilde again."  
  
"Doesn't Miss Dorlian care about us?" asked another man.  
  
"No, Benjamin. She doesn't." Heero stared the upset captain in the  
  
eyes, slowly nodding. "She sure as hell doesn't."  
  
  
  
END OF PART ONE  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. The Testimony

You Are Not Forgotten Part 2  
Gundam Wing Style  
  
Mizu-chan's Notes: Erm, hi again! Thanks for all the nice reviews! I'm glad people are reading this! Ah.. a quick note is that the time has moved to eight years. The soldiers are still being held as prisoners of war. Why the great time leap? Well, I'm trying to stick with the true story as much as possible. It does seem a bit big.. so maybe I'll change it if ya'll want me too! ^^! Okie, I think that's all I needed to say and thanks again! Hope this part meets up to expectations!  
  
Wufei slashed a shallow cut into the wall beside him with the steak knife he had been given to eat with. The slash was soon lost in the sea of many other slashes made with many other steak knives. "It's been eight years," he growled.  
  
"Perhaps they are just trying to raise enough money. Who knows how much these colonies are asking." Quatre murmured in reply. But he knew that wasn't true at all.  
  
"She said we were dead, Quatre. Why would they raise money for the dead?" questioned Duo. He raised his head from its resting place on his knees. The wounded look in Duo's eyes made his friend wince.  
  
"Why...why?" murmured another man. He was the only other person awake at that current moment. Slowly, he shook his head. After all these years he still didn't understand.  
  
"Who knows Danielson." replied Wufei, addressing the captain by his last name.  
  
"I wonder how everything is ... outside." Quatre murmured. The blonde stared wistfully out the barred window, snatching glances of the stars and the eternal darkness.  
  
"Stop looking outside. It makes the days go longer." Wufei reprimanded. The Chinese man leaned against the wall, arms crossed, as he stared at the sleeping soldiers. Eight years in this same cell had changed them all. Some had even taken their lives, deserted of all hope to ever get out. The remaining were older and less innocent about the world around them. The pain of the imprisonment in their sunken faces made Wufei reluctantly look away.  
  
"My god.. eight years. Eight years and Lord knows how many attempted escapes. Even Heero couldn't find any mobile suits in time to get away." Duo spoke, more to himself then anyone else.  
  
The three other men didn't even reply. They all fell into silence, letting the even breathing of the sleepers take over. Wufei remained leaning against the wall, calm as usual. Unlike the other men surrounding him Wufei had no one he was missing.  
  
Quatre still continued staring out the window. His eyes still held that wistful look as he thought of everything that had been ripped from him and never returned through those eight long years. At least he still had some of his friends with him. But they were only some.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Relena tilted back her head, laughing in joy. The younger girl next to her remained stoned face as the man in front of both of them made pitiful attempts at jokes.  
  
"Oh, come now, Mariemaia. You've got to admit that was somewhat humorous." Relena giggled, nudging her advisor and somewhat friend on the shoulder. But Mariemaia didn't even move.  
  
"'Come on, pull yourself together'? What kind of joke is that? And how can people feel like curtains?" Mariemaia replied, her nose turned up in disgust of the man.  
  
"Aw, gee, Marie. Loosen up."  
  
"If you loosen the cage door of a bird, the bird flies."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"You know what it means, Miss Dorlian." Mariemaia said, her eyes narrowed. Her tone was sharp. It kept the comedian man silent.  
  
"Marie..." Relena began, her own tone warning. After a pause, Relena flashed a dainty smile to the man. "Could I speak to you later? Call me?" The man nodded before disappearing out the door. Once he was out of sight, Relena whirled on her advisor. "What's this nonsense about birds, Mariemaia?"  
  
"Miss Dorlian, I'm beginning to wonder why you told the public that all POW's were dead. Was it truly for the sake of the alliance and because of politics... Or.." Mariemaia paused, meeting Relena's glare with a venomous one of her own. "Or for your own selfish and childish desires?"   
  
"Mariemaia?!" Relena staggered back. Such harsh words coming from one she thought a friend? "Mariemaia, I assure you the situation of the POW's is not because of my own desires but for reasons beyond my control."  
  
"Then, do tell me why for the past eight years, you seem to be a completely different person? As though a weight had been taken from you? The weight of living up to someone's expectations."  
  
Relena paused, unable to answer the girls questions. Was it true? Was she truly enjoying this new life without the pilots? Without Heero? But then, the former princess regained her tongue, smiled and replied, "Dear little girl, I believe you are mistaken. Do you truly think I'd sacrifice over a hundred other soldiers lives in order to become free of certain duties?"  
  
"Hm, I guess not," but Mariemaia didn't give up that easily. "So then, I guess you needn't worry that Lady Une is gone and the last time she was seen was when she was heading to colonies 0107 and 1116?"  
  
"WHAT?!!?"  
  
"That's what I thought..."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"HEY!!!"  
  
Quatre's shout caused a few of the slumbering soldiers to leap to attention. They all stared, wide eyed at Quatre, wondering just what his problem was. Of course they were angry. Who wouldn't be when one was disturbed of sleep? But then they saw the excited, almost ecstatic expression on his face and they were filled with hope. Only Trowa had the nerve to ask the question, "What is it, Quatre?"  
  
Quatre smushed his face against the bar, trying to get the best look he could. "Well, I could be just..." He growled, jerking his head from the bars quickly as the electric shocks kicked in. He rubbed the now red lines on his face before continuing. "I could be just jumping to conclusions but there is a mobile suit coming our way. And it doesn't look like any of the regulars."  
  
And then came the mob. The soldiers shoved Quatre away, each scrambling for his own glance at what could be their savior. They pushed and shoved, given a new reason to stare into space.  
  
"Hey! Isn't that Lady Une's suit?!"  
  
"I think it is!"  
  
"They've come! They've come!"  
  
Heero, who had just awoken himself, stood at the back of the mob. Somehow he knew their savior wasn't that suit flying in space. "Stop it. Don't get your hopes up."   
  
At Heero's cold but wise words, the soldiers fell silent. Heero was right. It had been eight years. They had already been forgotten. Slowly the soldiers sunk back to the places they had previously been.  
  
Until....  
  
It had been close to a half hour. Small conversations of dire subjects were flitting around the cell. Trowa and Heero both remained silent, their minds on opposite things. Quatre was busy consoling the few soldiers who "just couldn't take it anymore" while Duo was spending his time cursing the alliance out. Wufei kept a watch through the doorway window for any signs of Lady Une. He had hope. And that's when he saw her.  
  
She had changed. She had grown older and changed her hair style. But her eyes still held the gentle ferocity she always had. The sight of such an old "friend" made Wufei nearly lose his composure. After glancing around to make sure no one was watching him, Wufei slammed his fist against the door.  
  
It had worked. Lady Une's head jerked up. The tall man who had been speaking to her fell silent. Her cold, calm eyes floated over to the door which held brave warriors prisoners. She turned back to the man, her mouth moving slowly. The man nodded and the two came towards the door.  
  
"It.. it's Lady Une. Fellas.." Wufei turned to face his comrades. A rare half smile was seen on his face. "We're going home."  
  
There was silence in the room as the soldiers let those words sink in. The click of a lock was the only sound heard. With his smile still placed upon his face, Wufei slid from the door as it opened to reveal Lady Une and Refel.  
  
In an instant, the silence broke.  
  
"Lady Une!"  
  
"Colonel!"  
  
"Are we really going home?!"  
  
Lady Une just stared in amazement. Her jaw fell open then closed again as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. That's when Wufei felt a small droplet of dread pierce his stony heart.   
  
"Wha.. what are you doing here? You're.. you're all dead." Lady Une's voice was a near whisper. She reached out her hand, as though she thought the collective of soldiers would just disappear into the air. They didn't.  
  
"Relena didn't even tell you?" Heero straightened himself from the wall. He pushed his way through the shocked to silence mob of soldiers until he stood mere inches from Lady Une. "You aren't here to save us, are you Lady Une." He said it has a fact, no questioning in his tone. Slowly he nodded, expecting nothing else from Relena. It was no surprise she still hadn't grown up.  
  
"No.." Lady Une spoke again. Her wide eyes swept through the crowd, recognizing faces even through years of change. She shook her head. "No... how could I not know of this? W.. why are you still here?"  
  
Refel, the balding giant, took this as his chance to speak. "They're still here and we are still waiting for your leader to get back to us. Even the 'dead' need to be bought."  
  
"I'll get the needed supplies to save you right away!" Lady Une spoke with new fervor. She grabbed Heero's hand, making eye contact with every single soldier there. "Don't give up. I'll be back in a few days to make sure of your safe return." Lady Une then turned and fled down the hall.  
  
Blinking, Refel poked his head out the door. "But ma'am, don't you still have to inspect the suits? They still make funny noises.." But she was already gone. Refel shrugged, giving a devilish grin to the soldiers before stepping out and slamming the door shut.  
  
A whoop of cheer suddenly erupted from the holding cell. They were going to get out now! The soldiers celebrated, hugging and congratulating one another. They had made it!  
  
Heero slithered back beside Trowa. Slowly Trowa glanced over at his fellow soldier. "It's not going to work, is it?"  
  
"No, I don't believe it will." The two fell to silence, allowing the rest of their companions to feel the joy of hope. They deserved it. For the past eight years they had been deprived of it. Even Wufei couldn't wipe the smile from his face.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So, what you are telling me, Lady Une, is that you've seen the dead POWs?" Relena questioned, her very tone causing snickers to fly around the room.  
  
Lady Une stared at the changed Miss Dorlian in amazement. She then glanced around the room to where some of her friends sat. Even Sally and Noin couldn't help but chuckle. Milliardo's face, though, was grim. Une had a feeling he had known about the living soldiers. With new anger, Lady Une turned back to the Vice Foreign Minister. "Yes! Over one hundred of them! We need to get them home! Live POW's remain in the colonies of 0107 and 1116."  
  
"Lady Une, I assure you. The prisoners of war have been dead for over eight years. Please don't bring up old wounds." Relena then stepped out of the room, signifying that Lady Une's request had been denied. The audience, still snickering filed out of the room leaving Lady Une to stand there. There was no way this could be true. Miss Dorlian.. what was Miss Dorlian doing?  
  
"I suggest you keep your mouth shut, Lady Une." Milliardo suddenly spoke. He had stayed. Lady Une stared at him, bewildered.  
  
"But.. why?"  
  
"The war had put a strain on the alliance. There was no way we could buy back that many prisoners." Milliardo said. He sounded as though he was talking of candy instead of real human beings.  
  
"But we're richer now!"  
  
"What would the Vice Foreign Minister look like if she said all dead POWs were alive?"  
  
"That's no reason to keep them there!"  
  
"Lady Une.." Milliardo stepped up to her. "Keep your mouth shut. You're fired. I don't really think that anyone will believe a civilian." With a smirk, Milliardo slithered from the room.  
  
"What has happened? What has happened to this alliance? This.." Lady Une suddenly collapsed, landing harshly on her knees. She buried her face into her hands, letting the sobs rack her body. "This is not what this alliance was made for. Oh, brave soldiers, I'm sorry...  
  
I'm so sorry..."  
  
END OF PART TWO  
  
Extra Mizu-chan Notes: Wow, having too much fun making Relena a bad person! Hehee! ~:~giggles evily~:~ Anyways.. I hope everyone likes this story. Erm, in the true story the reasons for not returning the POWs was unknown. So I just made this up. It makes the story more interesting!! Well, that's all I had to say. Thanks for reading this! I love ya'll!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Contact with the Living

You Are Not Forgotten Part 3  
Gundam Wing Style  
  
Brrring...  
Brrring...  
Brrring...  
  
Relena growled to herself as she reluctantly pulled herself from her sleep. She searched blindly through the dark room until her hand came down upon the ringing phone. Stifling a yawn, she lifted it and pulled the receiver to her ear.   
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hello Relena."  
  
Relena froze. Her fingers uncurled, letting the receiver bounce softly onto her downy bed. She stared into the darkness, her eyes wide. The voice came from the phone again and again until she finally moved to pick it up.  
  
"W...who is this?"   
  
"Like you don't know."  
  
She moved her mouth, saying the voices name but no sound came out. Yes, it was true. She knew who was now speaking to her but she didn't wanted to believe it. Maybe if she just didn't say anything the voice would go away. And she'd wake up.  
  
"It's Heero Yuy." No such luck. The name was spoken by the man himself.   
  
"Hello... He.. heero." His name was now foreign on her tongue. It had been so long since she had spoken to.. Heero.  
  
"Yes, we've already said hello. Has Lady Une spoken to you?"  
  
Relena didn't know what to say. She had to find Mariemaia! She had to find Milliardo! But it was so late.. they were all asleep.  
  
"I see, she has." It was just like Heero to know everything. "I'm sure you want to know why I'm speaking to you right now." Relena nodded and even though Heero couldn't see it he continued. "The colonies 0107 and 1116 would like to make an offer."  
  
"What.. what is it?"  
  
"Fifty-seven POWs for four billion. Is that a fair deal for you, Relena? Relena?"  
  
Relena dropped the phone. She stumbled from her bed and raced out into the hall. Flipping the switch to the light the hall, the Vice Foreign Minister then dashed to her elder brothers chamber.  
  
"Milliardo! Milliardo! Wake up!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well? What did she say, Heero?" Duo leaned against the wall, watching his friend intently. Refel and a few other men stood behind them, keeping an eye on the two prisoners.   
  
"She's.. she's checking." Heero said as he patiently waited for Relena to return to the phone.  
  
"Yes!" Duo clapped his hands. He grinned at Refel. "Do you see that? We're going home!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Mrf.. what is it?" Milliardo shielded his eyes to the harsh light that Relena just let into his room. He rolled away from Noin, who remained sleeping.  
  
"Heero! Heero's on the phone!"  
  
"What?" Milliardo's voice came out like a hiss, sharp and dangerous. "Lower your voice, you idiot." He growled, sliding out of his bed. He stepped over to Relena and shoved her back into the hall. After glancing back to Noin, he then stepped out himself and closed the door behind him. Milliardo marched down the hall, to his sisters room, not even waiting for Relena to get out of the fallen position he had pushed her into.  
  
"Hello, this is Milliardo. Heero is that you?"  
  
Heero had seen this coming. No surprise flashed through him as he heard the masculine voice float into the receiver. "Yes, it's Heero."  
  
"Why are you calling here?" Milliardo glanced over to his sister who was nervously pacing the room. He mouthed to her silently, "Don't worry." But she couldn't stop pacing.  
  
"The colonies of 0107 and 1116 want me to tell you of their offer. They will give you 57 POWs for four billion dollars."  
  
"Is this a genuine offer? Four billion for only fifty-seven?"  
  
"Yes, would you like to speak with some of the leaders themselves?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
Heero sighed. He motioned for Refel who stepped over and took the phone from the pilots hands. Refel held it to his ear and then spoke, his voice raspy, "Hello, this is Refel. Representative from the colony 1116."  
  
"Hello, Refel. This is Milliardo Peacecraft, brother of the Vice Foreign Minister. What is this about an offer?"  
  
"Yes, fifty-seven for four billion. We'll send you the papers if you would like. The colonies of 1116 and 0107 are getting quite tired of holding onto these prisoners."  
  
"I see. So this offer is genuine. Well, thank you for clearing that up." Milliardo then hung up the phone. He smiled over to Relena. "No need to worry, Relena. Get back to bed. I'll see you tomorrow morning." The two embraced and then went their separate ways. But oh, how one forgets that walls have ears.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Refel blinked before slowly hanging up the phone himself. "They ignored the offer. Take the two prisoners back to their cells."  
  
"What?! No! That can't be true! No!" Duo struggled against the men who grabbed him. He tried to jerk out of their strong grips.  
  
Unlike his partner, Heero simply let them drag him back to his cell. He wasn't surprised. Why should he be? It was just like them. The Vice Foreign Minister just couldn't have a blemish on her reputation. As they shoved him in, Heero swore he'd get back at that spoiled brat.  
  
"Stop making such a fuss. Deal with your fate." Refel said coldly to Duo. He then rammed his knee into the gundam pilots gut. In defeat and shame, Duo gave up, letting the tears come. He had no more hope.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"He was saying something about Heero."   
  
"No way.. Heero's dead."  
  
"I'm sure of it. They were going to make a deal."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Do you think Lady Une was telling the truth?"  
  
"Tell the newspaper."  
  
"But I can't betray them.."  
  
"Go anonymous."  
  
"Alright....." The woman then fled from the room, leaving her friend to sat there contemplating what she had just heard. Was it true? Were Heero and the others alive?  
END OF PART THREE  
  
Mizu-chan's Notes: Erm.. as you can tell I edited part three. I got rid of the newspaper articles because I realized I had left out one important action. Don't worry. I'll try to clear it all up in part four! I can't use the real years or the real names so it's a hassle! Blah! Hehe, anyways that's all I have to say!  
  
  
  



	4. When The Giggles Stop

You Are Not Forgotten Part 4  
Gundam Wing Style  
Mizu-chan's Notes: Ta da! The fourth part! It's three years after the offer was made! This one was really rushed because I'm trying to get it done! And it's so hard for my fingers to keep pace with my mind! Hehe, enjoy!  
  
"Hey.. hey.. did you hear? Colonel Lady Une testified that the POWs were still alive three years ago!"  
  
"Three years? Not a good enough story. It's the 7th of December.. there are much better stories flying around. Take that old lady who tried to steal from the toy store." The elder man shook his head at the younger. "Not front page material."  
  
"But.." The younger man twiddled his thumbs, looking away from his editor. He had been so excited when he had heard of the testimony. Sure it had been made a long ago but still..  
  
"But still good to put in." The editor placed his hand on his assistants head. A warm smile spread over his face.   
  
"Yes!" The assistant leaped into the air, joy spilling over his face. The story was going to be in the Alliance Times newspaper!  
  


COLONEL LADY UNE TESTIFIES 0107 AND 1116 ARE STILL HOLDING AT LEAST 50-60 LIVE POWs!  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Did you see today's newspaper, Relena?" Milliardo shoved the article under his sisters nose as she solemnly nodded.  
  
"W.. why don't we just get the POWs? There's no more secret.." Relena sighed.  
  
"The newspaper hasn't created that big of a stir. Lady Une is fired. She has reasons to lie." Milliardo grinned, crumpling the paper before tossing it nonchalantly into the fireplace.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Damnit.. we're running out of ideas for articles." The red-haired man cursed as he flung a batch of papers across the room.  
  
His younger assistant creeped over to him. "Sir, do you remember that article we posted last year? The one about Lady Une's testimony?"  
  
"Yes.. what of it, Tat?"  
  
"It's the 28th of June.. no more old ladies stealing toys."  
  
"You want to post it again?"  
  
Tat nodded towards his editor. His lips twitched into a smile.  
  
"Front page?"  
  
"Yes.. front page."  
  


COLONEL LADY UNE TESTIFIES 0107 AND 1116 ARE STILL HOLDING AT LEAST 50-60 LIVE POWs!  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"We've made a really big mess, Milliardo.." Relena rubbed at her temples, wanting so badly to cry.  
  
"Indeed. We have.." Milliardo read the front page over and over again. Was this newspaper ever going to give up? "But it's too embarrassing now. Just keep denying it.."  
  
"But.. Milliardo.." Relena's hands shook.   
  
"Just deny it!"  
  
"Yes, Milliardo.." She lowered her head, as soft tears splattered down onto the newspaper.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Noin slipped into the newspaper office, glancing around nervously. The woman slithered up to what appeared to be a worker. Clearing her throat, she poked the man gently on the shoulder, causing him to turn around staring at her quizzically.  
  
"Hello, I'm Lt. Noin.." It felt funny to call herself Lt. again. She hadn't done so in such a long time. One war hadn't been enough for her to move up and she had just forgotten to add it all the time. "The Alliance Times.. you saw their articles, right?"  
  
The man didn't answer for a second. He thought about what articles she meant until suddenly it clicked. She was a lieutenant after all. "The ones about Colonel Lady Une?"  
  
"Yes, after it was pasted on the front page it created quite a stir. Well.." Noin looked down. It had taken her this long to gather the courage to go against the Peacecraft Dorlian family. But she couldn't deny she hadn't heard the phone call with Heero that night so long ago. "I can also testify." She slowly hung her head down. It was over. Milliardo would never forgive her now but she had to do what she felt was right.  
  
"Oh, really? Come into my office. We'll discuss this."  
  
LIEUTENANT NOIN BACKS UP LADY UNE SAYING 'LIVE ALLIANCE POWs REMAIN IN 0107 AND 1116'!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"How could you, Noin?!" Milliardo stared down at his wife, his face turning an odd shade of red.  
  
"I had to! It's our friends over there!" Noin pleaded with him, her eyes brimming with tears. He had no right... no right at all!  
  
"Milliardo.. please.. why can't we just admit our mistake and regain the POWs?" Relena poised the same question as before. She rubbed her temples, her eyes closed as though she were in pain.  
  
"It's too big of a mistake! It would be too embarrassing!" Milliardo whirled on his sister but seeing she was not looking whirled back to his wife.  
  
"We'd get over it!" Relena's eyes flashed open as she glared to her brother.  
  
"They'd knock us out of power! If we don't admit it, there is still going to be one hint of doubt in the peoples mind!"  
  
"But.. we're in anarchy. Relena is just a messenger. Isn't she?" Noin blinked a couple times, glancing between brother and sister.   
  
"Oh, shut up, Noin." It was Relena this time. She rolled her eyes at her "naive" sister-in-law before standing up. "I'm going out." Without even letting her brother do the usual questions, Relena slid out the door. Once more she flew out without even bothering to care about what she left behind. Isn't it funny how naive birds always fly into the glass panes?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Relena! Relena!"  
  
The Vice Foreign Minister blinked, glancing to the blonde woman who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Just as security moved in to remove the woman, who had attached herself to Relena's arm, the former princess realized who it was.  
  
"Charlene! Is that really you?" Relena, trying to be polite, shoved the woman from her under the guise of getting a better look at her. Indeed it was. It was Charlene, an old friend from St. Gabriel's.  
  
"Yes, it's me. Relena, could I speak to you in private?" Charlene motioned towards the guards who still seemed abit uneasy.  
  
"Oh, of course! Be gone!" Relena made a shooing motion with her hands and the guards obediently left. Heero.. Heero wouldn't have left though. Shuddering from the thought, Relena then turned back to her former friend. "What is it you wanted to speak with me about?"  
  
"My husband." Charlene's face looked grave as she fixed her gaze upon the cold marble floor.   
  
Relena grabbed her friends hand. "Oh, what of him? He doesn't beat you does he? Shall I tell Milliardo?!"  
  
"Oh, no. It is nothing of that sort." Charlene glanced back up at her friend, tears brimming into her eyes. "He's a POW."  
  
"Oh.." Relena nodded her head. "I'm sorry.. did you attend the memorial service?"  
  
"No.. I know he is not dead. He.. he has called me several times."  
  
"Wha... what? Oh, Charlene, I believe this grief has tipped you over the edge!" Relena giggled, trying to relieve the tension. But all the giggle did was serve as a memory trigger. She always giggled when she was in school. It was so easy. All she ever worried about were boys and schoolwork and both could be giggled at. When had she stopped giggling?  
  
Charlene didn't giggle alongside her friend. "I know he's alive."  
  
'Oh Brother, where do I go from here?' Relena wondered silently. But the answer was already with her. She trusted Charlene and there was nothing that would change that. Plus, she just had to tell someone. It would help. "You're right, Charlene. But there is no way I could get him out for you. The colonies are.. well, they are unwilling."  
  
"Well, then you'll just have to make them willing."  
  
The wicked, demonic grin on Charlene's heart shaped face took Relena completely by surprise. She backed up a few steps, getting as far away from that expression as she could. No.. it couldn't be. When.. when the giggles stopped.. the world became crueler.  
  
"You better get him back or I'll tell the newspapers. How would that look, Relena? You just confessed! You confessed!" Charlene laughed her head off.  
  
"Stop it. Stop laughing." When Charlene didn't obey her command, Relena slung a fist towards the woman forcing her to be silent. Charlene toppled to the ground, her cheek turning into an instant bruise as she blinked, letting the situation sink it. "You have nothing on me, you little wench! No one will believe a jealous, tainted woman like yourself! No one!"  
  
"Oh yeah?" Charlene lifted up her shirt, revealing a recording device. The laughter restarted. "I'm always one step ahead of you! I was always ahead of you, even in school! Now, release my husband!" Charlene got back onto her feet, that grin staying. "Just because someone fell in love with me and not with you doesn't mean you have to be immature about it. Just because you're unappealing and no one loves you.. doesn't mean you have to be jealous! So jealous you'd keep _all_ the husbands locked up!"  
  
"What.. what are you talking about?!"  
  
"Just release him, Relena. I have the tape."  
  
"Follow me..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"And so we have to get him back.." Relena finished her story with a sigh. She tossed the remnants of a napkin to the floor and continued her pacing. Charlene remained sitting in a wooden chair, a satisfied smirk plastered to her face.  
  
"All right, I see. And what was his name, Charlene?" Milliardo stared at the woman, masking the anger.  
  
"Meteo Sabog."  
  
Milliardo nodded, picking up the phone. His finger reluctantly dialed out the numbers as his eyes remained glued to Charlene and the tape she held tightly in her hands. The voice that flew into his ear the moment the phone was picked up on the other line caused him to rip his gaze away. "Hello, this is Milliardo Peacecraft. Yes.. I'm Relena's brother. Yes, I would like to speak to you about a POW. No no, just one. His name is Meteo Sabog. Yes, I'll hold."  
  
END OF PART FOUR  
  
Mizu-chan's Notes: Well, whadaya'll think? Charlene.. well, she is supposed to be the blonde girl from Relena's school. I dunno if they ever mentioned her name. But anyways! Really quick I'm going to clear up the years. I finally decided how old I wanted the pilots to be in the beginning.   
War Time~ They were 19 so the year was 199. Eight years A.K.A. 207 A.K.A. Year Lady Une saw them makes them all 27. Three mores years, their 30 (Right? I'm bad at math..) and now one more year. Happy 31st birthday! Yay! Hope that wasn't confusing at all! I'm probably going to edit the first parts to add that into it. But right now I'm just trying to get this baby finished! Thanks so much for reading this and for all the nice reviews! I love you all!  
  
  
  
  



	5. Meteo Showers

Meteo Showers  
You are Not Forgotten  
  
"Meteo Sabog? Just him, sir?" spoke the private on the other side of the phone line. He was practically shaking as the deep voice of Milliardo Peacecraft filled the telephone. "N..n..not even one of the gundam pilots, sir? Okay, please hold."  
  
The boy set the receiver down then raced for his commanding offices room. He pounded on the door with both fists. The door flung open, revealing an unsettled Refel.  
  
"What is it, private?" Refel grumbled as he rubbed at his eyes. Didn't anyone other then him take naps around here?  
  
"Sir! Milliardo Peacecraft is on the phone!" Ben straightened up, saluting his commander.  
  
"What?" Refel hissed out. He leaned in closer to the private, bulging his eyes. "What does he want?"  
  
"He is requesting the return of one POW," Ben said. Then on second thought he added a loud and nervous, "SIR!"  
  
Refel narrowed his eyes as the private shouted into his ear. The man then stepped out of his room, shoving the private to the ground. Refel then took a few easy strides to the phone. He cleared his throat and straightened his tie before he picked up the receiver and held it to his eager ears.  
  
"Milliardo Peacecraft?"  
  
"Refel?"  
  
"Yes, you are now speaking to Refel. Can you please explain to me what my private was attempting to explain just recently?"  
  
"Yes, Refel, you see we have a situation here and we are in need of the services of Meteo Sabog. Just Meteo Sabog."  
  
"Hm," Refel paused, tapping his fingers against the mirror in front of him. Suddenly a deliciously wicked smile slithered across his lips. "Request granted. Please send someone to 0107 and we'll discuss details there."  
  
"Understood. Thank you," Milliardo hung up the phone. He stood up from the desk and took a few steps over to Charlene. The smug grin on her face made him sick. With a growl, the man swiftly slapped the woman so hard that she toppled from the chair. She laid there, breathing heavily on the ground as she stared up at Milliardo in shock and surprise.  
  
"Ha, little bitch," commented Relena as she stepped over Charlene. The Vice Foreign Minister then once again acted immature as she spat on the girl on the floor. She laughed viciously before stepping out to ready for the trip to 0107.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Is Meteo Sabog still alive?" Refel questioned as he opened the door to the cell. He was met with eyes that were filled to the brim with agony. And yet, the commander felt no pity for the prisoners. Only scorn.  
  
"What do you need him for?" replied Heero. His back was to the wall as he sat quite comfortably. The perfect soldier had his legs bent with his arms draping over them dramatically. The dull glare of his Prussian blue eyes made even Refel shudder.  
  
"Sabog is going home. He is needed for a situation," Refel spoke. He played around with the word "situation" before letting out a menacing chuckle.  
  
The reply to Refel's words was silence. Sheer and utter silence as each prisoner stared at him in disbelief. There was annoyance in their eyes as they thought his words to be nothing but a cruel joke.  
  
"Hm, are you Meteo Sabog?" Refel asked the nearest soldier.  
  
To his surprise the soldier stood up. He stuck out his chest, filled with sudden pride. The soldier then gave a quick salute to Refel, "No, I am not Meteo Sabog. I am Captain Benjamin Franklin Danielson, Captain in the Alliance Airforce. I,"  
  
Refel growled, walking away from the man. He hadn't received the answer he wanted. Quickly, Refel scanned the mass of men. He knew this Meteo wasn't any of the gundam pilots. And he could narrow out the few prisoners whose names he knew. But there were still too many.  
  
"Fine then, I shall just have to tell Milliardo that Meteo Sabog committed suicide," Refels cruel words twisted and contorted all around the room. The tension in the room was amazing as the man turned back to the door. He took slow, deliberate steps waiting for the Sabog man to cave in.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
Refel turned to find a middle aged man who had eyes of fear. His mouth was hanging open for he hadn't closed it from his yell. Quickly, the man glanced around at his fellow prisoners with sorrow in his eyes before speaking.  
  
"I am Msg. Meteo Sabog. What do you need from me?"  
  
"I need you to follow me," Refel stepped out the door. He held it open, waiting for the weak Msg. to follow in his footsteps.  
  
"Will you tell them about us, Meteo?" Duo suddenly shouted. He leaped to the mans side, his violet eyes pleading.  
  
"I.. I.." Meteo lowered his eyes. If keeping the POWs a secret meant he could leave, he'd keep them a secret for all his life.  
  
"Don't worry about us, Meteo," Quatre spoke up, even though tears were beginning to edge into his eyes. "We understand."  
  
"Thank you, Quatre," Meteo whispered before he stepped out of the door.   
  
Duo growled, racing to the door as it closed. He slammed his fists against the steel. Tears streaming down his face, the broken soldier screamed out. All around him, his fellow soldiers also felt the pain.   
  
Mizu-chan!'s Notes: Well, how do you like? Meteo is the real name of the real person in the story. I didn't want any main characters to be freed (er, I sound mean, ne?) so I just left Meteo alone. Ahem.. well, I think that was all I had to say. Merci beaucoup for reading this!  



	6. Happy 32nd Birthday

Happy 32nd Birthday  
You are Not Forgotten  
  
Duo glanced at the slashes Wufei had diligently made all the years they had been held captive. He groaned at the amount before mumbling, "Happy 32nd birthday, guys."  
  
Heero glanced up to his fellow gundam pilot. Were they really that old? Had they really been in there that long? After the first years, the days had just started to slid together. Weeks and months even years had no meaning for him anymore. It was just an endless parade of nights and days in a cell.   
  
Quatre turned his eyes away from the braided boy. Slowly, tears began to trickle down his pale face. He had missed all those birthdays. The blonde could remember when he and his Corps would throw the biggest parties ever. But now he had to wonder if the Magunac Corps even remembered or would even recognize their young master.  
  
Trowa sighed, seeing Quatre's tears. He sent a quick glare to Duo before stepping over to the Arabian. Sitting down besides him, Trowa wrapped an arm about the boy. He whispered sweet words of condolence.  
  
Wufei just ignored Duo and his words. It wasn't his birthday yet. They would be out of here before he himself turned 32. He just knew. Wufei glanced out into the emptiness of space. Grasping sight of the brightest star, the Chinese man closed his eyes and made a wish.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Noin, that's it! Get out of my house!" Milliardo bellowed at his wife. He picked up their young child and threw the girl towards Noin who caught her. Milliardo then turned angrily away.  
  
"You.. bastard! I can't believe this! You're divorcing me because I think what you are doing is wrong?!" Noin screamed back. She covered her young daughters ears as the girl began to cry. All these violent words were scary to the innocent young.  
  
"No, I'm divorcing you because you betrayed me," Milliardo growled out. He held up the newspaper article from last year. The one about Noin backing up Lady Une.  
  
Noin's jaw clenched. She turned silently and stormed from the room. He wanted a betrayal? She'd give him a betrayal!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Noin stepped softly into the newspaper office on that hot August day. A wave of déjà vu hit her. This was just like the last time she had been here except now there was no doubt plaguing her. She'd get the truth out. But the lieutenant couldn't help but be angry with herself for the main reason she was testifying about the POWs was not because she wanted them back but because she wanted revenge on Milliardo.  
  
"So, Lieutenant Noin, welcome back. There was something you wanted to speak to me about?" asked the editor. His position on the chair gave off the air of laziness. But there was a passion in his eyes that assured Noin he would definitely make her words a front page.   
  
She nodded, a soft smile lighting up her face. Noin sat in the chair in front of him, clearing her throat, "You'd better get a tape recorder."  
  
The front page of the Alliance Street Journal the next day read out in bold letters:  
  
VIETNAMESE WANT TO SELL 57 LIVE POWs FOR 4 BILL.  
GOVERNMENT IGNORES!  
  
Milliardo growled, clenching the paper tightly in his fist. That Noin. Why was she doing this? Didn't she understand politics? He threw his glass of coffee violently to the ground, making his little sister jump. The man then shoved his chair back and stalked off into his room.  
  
Relena edged over to the paper her brother had been reading. Dread did nothing but drown her as she picked it up. Slowly her eyes scanned over the front page and she began to cry. This was just too much for her. Her wings were broken and beaten beyond repair.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Milliardo yawned. It was the thirtiest of September and no more trouble had been coming from Noin. The man grinned at his daughter wickedly. Noin had no power for now the child was in his hands. Milliardo couldn't help but laugh. Things were going great for him these days. No more articles and the last articles controversy had died down quickly.  
  
He reached from the depths of his bed to grab that mornings paper. Milliardo had switched from the Alliance Street Times to Colony Times. He flipped through the pages, intent on finding the comics. Suddenly, three letters caught his eye and the man froze.  
  
GOVERNMENT PANELS ESTIMATES UP TO 100 LIVE POWs HELD IN COLONIES!  
  
Milliardo froze. It couldn't have been Noin. She only spoke to the Alliance Street Times. Plus, she wasn't in charge of foreign affairs. The only two who had permission to work with outside colonies were Lady Une but she had been fired. Lady Une and...  
  
"Sally Po," Milliardo growled out. These womyn were getting to be quite tiresome. He threw the paper down. As soon as Sally Po was done from her usual week trip to all the colonies, there would be hell for her to pay.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Mariemaia! Tell us! Were the panels speaking the truth?" cried out many reporters as the young woman tried to wheel her way through the masses. It was taking her everything she had to keep her head up as they cried for the truth and she was unable to give it.  
  
"Can you deny all those testimonies, Mariemaia? And the panels?" spoke another reporter. He looked at her sternly. The blue in his eyes and the expression on his face made her heart stop. He looked so much like the one called Heero Yuy. It was painful to even look at him. The guilt was driving her mad.  
  
Finally, the handicapped girl's tough outer shell broke. She had nothing to do but tell the public what they wanted to hear, "Look, the alliance knows they are there, everybody knows they are, but there's no groundswell of support for getting them out. Certainly, you are not suggesting we pay for them, surely not saying we could do anything like that with no public support."  
  
The silence of the crowd surprised. The microphones clasped in the reporters hands were lowered as everyone processed this information. This was the first time anyone had actually admitted the soldiers were there. It had to be true, too, for the words had come straight from Vice Foreign Minister's assistant. Mariemaia used these moments of shock to wheel herself into the building.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Marie! What the hell were you thinking?!" Relena shouted as her advisor appeared in the doorway. The VFM stood up from her chair, anger flashing in her eyes. This was too much. First Lady Une, then Charlene, then Noin, then perhaps Sally who had not yet come back even though it was already October 7th and now Marie. Were they all trying to make her look bad?  
  
"But, Miss Dorlian, they all knew. I was just," Mariemaia began. She wheeled closer to her princess, no fear showing in her eyes.  
  
"Just what? Just trying to make me look bad?!" Relena screamed at the wheel-chaired girl as she came closer. "This is unforgivable! You are not to leave this building! Not until this controversy dies down! If it ever does!"  
  
"But, Miss Dorlian, I have my boyfriend! I can't stay here!" Mariemaia protested. It was almost as though she herself was going to be held a prisoner.  
  
"Do you think I care, you little whore?" shouted Relena. She gave the red haired girl a sharp blow to the right cheek before sitting back into her leather chair. "Go to your office. I'll be placing guards there," Relena hissed. She remained glaring until her advisor was completely gone from her sight.  
  
"Perfect, Relena. Absolutely perfect," Milliardo cooed. He wrapped his arms around his sister, a bright smile plastered to his face. Relena attempted to return his smile but her thoughts were on many other things.  
  
Mizu-chan!'s Notes: You like? I'm writing quickly now, blame it on the book my daddy-poo gave me. Erm, anyways. No incestous relationship between Milliardo and Relena.. although it would be fun. ~:~cue the wicked grin~:~ That'll be saved for another fanfic. Well, hope you're liking this one and it's not to confusing. I'm remembering to put the dates up now! Proud? Ahem, anyways! Ja!  
  
  



End file.
